Fire-escape.



- Patented May I, I900.

S D B A N N E L N 3 0 '1 3 4 6 0w N FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application filed Oct. 16, 1899.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NICHOLAS LENNARDS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,503, dated May 1, 1900.

Application filed October 16, 1899. Serial No. 783,725. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS LENNARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in an apparatus which is more especially intended to be used as a fire-escape, but which may be employed by painters as a support or scaffold, or it may be used as balconies or porches for the different stories of a building; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, and operation of the various parts thereof, as will be' hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a fire-escape which may be readily raised and lowered on the outside of the building and retained in such position as to afford a platform, balcony, or scaffold near the windows thereof and which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable, and safe in its operation.

Another object of my invention is to so construct the apparatus that the lower platforms or scaffolds may be quickly removed from beneath the adjacent one thereabove when the device is being lowered.

In order to enableothers skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a View in front elevation of a building with my fire-escape in place thereon, showing the scaffolds or platforms in position ready for use as a fire-escape, balcony, or scafiold for painters. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a reduced plan View of one of the platforms detached, and Fig. 4

is a fragmental View of a portion of. the gears apparatus as a fire-escape, the platforms are for the drum or Windlass.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

A represents a building whichhas journaled on its upper portion, near the cornice thereof, a series of sheaves or pulleys B, over which the suspending-cables C pass; These cables are secured at one of their ends to the upper platform or scaffold D and at their other ends to a drum E, whose axle is journaled in suitable standards E on the upper surface of the scaffold.

Mounted on each end of the axle of the drum or Windlass is a gear-wheel F, the teeth of which engage those of the pinions-G, journaled on the standards E, and which pinions are prevented from turning when not desired by means of pawls e, secured to the standards at a suitable distance above the pinions. The shafts of the pinions are each provided with a crank 6, used for turning the drum or Windlass. Suspended from the upper platform or scaffold D by cables C are a number of scaffolds or platforms D and D which are provided on their lower surfaces with casters or wheels H, preferably swiveled on the platforms or scaffolds. These scafiolds are provided with railings h, which extend around their ends and along their outer sides, thus leaving the sides adjacent to the wall of the building open, so that ingress and egress to and from the platforms may be readily accomplished. By providing each of the scadolds or platforms with railings at their ends and one side only it is apparent that when the sca'fiolds are in position along the window-sills of the windows of the different stories of the building they may be used 'as balconies upon which the occupants of the building may sit or they may be employed as supports for flower-pots h, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. By thus constructing the platforms withone of its sides open or without a railing it is evident that when the apparatus is lowered the lower scaffold may be rolled on its wheels from the building and out of the way of the adjacent scaffold thereabove and that the cables will lie between the ends of the railing, as is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The operation of my device is simple and as follows: When it is intended to use the suspended by means of the cables C passing over the pulleys B, so as to rest at the lower portion of the window-casings of the different stories of the building, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. When in this position, the platforms may, as above stated, be used as balconies or for supports for flower-stands and a t I 648,503

other purposes. In the event of fire theoccupants of the building may step upon the platforms, when the entire series may be lowered by releasing the pawls e from the pinions, thus allowing the cables 0 to be unwound from the drum or Windlass, the unwinding being regulated by means of the cranks e, which are designed to be used in lowering the apparatus as well as raising it. When the lower platform shall have reached the ground, it may be rolled out of the way of the one thereabove, and so on throughout the series.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a building or support, of a series of pulleys journaled thereon,

ries of cables connected at one of their ends to the platform, and at their other ends to the drum or Windlass, another platform, suspended below the first-named one, and having at its ends and one of its sides, a railing, and on its lower surface a series of swiveled wheels,

' substantially as described.

NICHOLAS LENNARDS.

W'itnesses:

CHAS. O. TILLMAN, A. GUSTAFSON. 

